Behavioural Science: a vital tool for transforming our agrifood systems

The FAO Liaison Office in Brussels kicked off its new series of webinars on the Four Betters with a Brussels Briefing on Better Life.

This first event explored the role that behavioural science can play in policy development, in providing real solutions to challenges our agrifood systems are facing and its potential in key areas of food and agriculture.
Behavioural Science is the discipline of understanding human behaviour and decision-making. It helps identify obstacles to taking action, understand the factors that enable us to achieve our goals, and design more impactful programmes and projects.

FAO is actively exploring Behavioural Science as a complementary tool for transforming agrifood systems at all levels.

Experts from the European Commission Joint Research Center (JRC), academia and FAO engaged in a lively discussion with the audience on topics such as why we make the food choices we do, how food packaging can lead to healthier, more nutritious food choices and how integrating behavioural insights into decision making can result in more effective policies.

FAO Brussels Director Raschad Al-Khafaji opened the event and welcomed all participants. He highlighted how the Office of Innovation is kick-starting FAO’s exploration of behavioural science through a number of pilot projects under the guidance of the Chief Scientist.

His opening was followed by FAO’s Office of Innovation team members who talked about how behavioural science is increasing traction in the UN system and outlined where it can add value to FAO’s work. Three pilot cases were presented, where the behavioural science process has been implemented at FAO headquarters and in field offices to spark innovation and enable change.

Piere Chandon, Professor of Marketing at INSEAD and Director of the INSEAD-Sorbonne University Behavioural Lab, provided exciting insights into how consumers view food and how we can change their behaviour to promote healthy diets. The theme of food choices was also at the centre of Professor Christine Yung Hung's presentation from the University of Ghent in Belgium. Stacy Blondin from the World Resources Institute presented her research on how food waste can be better managed by using behavioural science.

Policy perspectives were offered by Emanuele Ciriolo, the Head of the Competence Center on Behavioural Insights at the European Commission's Joint Research Center (JRC). Ciriolo provided an example of digital food information, which the JRC is testing in three pilot countries within the European Union. He explained that behavioural insights could be particularly useful for policymakers when defining problems, as they help to understand the factors that impact the policy issue and to design policies informed by behavioural science.

The recording of the session is available here.

You can see more about the applications of behavioural science at FAO here.